Just a little over a decade after launching Minecraft Earth in the US, Microsoft announced this week that it will end the game later in the year. Minecraft Earth players will have until June 30th 2021 to play the game in augmented reality. It's not available for download on app marketplaces and it's not available for purchase.
Developer Mojang Studios blamed the coronavirus pandemic as well as the changes to daily life that have come with it for the shutdown. "Minecraft Earth was designed around playing with no restrictions and in a collaborative manner which have become nearly impossible in the current world situation," the studio said. Mojang, along with Niantic's Pokemon Go, had modified the game to make it more accessible at home. Clearly, these changes weren't enough.
After many exciting adventures, we've come to the difficult decision that Minecraft Earth will be shut down in June 2021. We are thankful for your continued support. Today's final version of Minecraft Earth includes many adjustments to make the final months as enjoyable as possible.
- https://t.co/D9fEGuOoqX - pic.twitter.com/KyHIToSrsI
- Minecraft (@Minecraft) January 5, 2021 But if there's a silver lining to this day's news, it's that Mojang plans to send off Minecraft Earth in style. The studio has released a final update for Minecraft Earth. It contains changes that "make your time in Minecraft Earth more enjoyable." The update also stops real-money transactions, and dramatically reduces the time it takes players to construct and craft items in the game. It also offers players the chance to look at the entire content Mojang was working on prior to the announcement today. "We hope that these changes will allow players to explore, create, and build more - while staying safe inside," the studio said.
Microsoft will erase user data on July 1 after June 30th is over. If you spent money in Minecraft Earth at any point during the life of the game, you'll receive an account token that allows you to download the Bedrock edition of Minecraft to your mobile device. There are more details regarding the closure on the Minecraft website.
For Microsoft this is without a doubt a disappointing end to Minecraft Earth. Microsoft had high hopes for the game when it first demonstrated at WWDC 2019. MINECRAFT-SERVERS.SBS It's not a great sign for consumer AR applications in the future that Minecraft Earth was unable to survive the pandemic with all the resources Microsoft has.
Mojang said that they're forever grateful for the incredible talent of the Minecraft community. "This was not an easy choice, and we're doing all we can to make sure you get the most out of Minecraft Earth before it sunsets."
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